At Picwood we really enjoy making our clients events a bit more special and capturing memories along the way. We built Picwood for ourselves, it was originally created for our Kansas City wedding and our rehearsal dinner was the debut of the photo booth. We were fortunate to have an awesome setup upstairs at Anton's in the Crossroads KC. So we know a thing or two about choosing a photo booth to make the event even more perfect.

Picwood in the wild, outside in Kansas City in the Crossroads

1. Size of the Photo Booth

Size and format of the photo booth is the first thing you should consider. Where is your event? Inside? Outside? Is there space for a small booth or a large booth? Photo booths come in all shapes and sizes, and this is probably the most important consideration. Be sure you get a booth that easily fits into and adds to the space you're hosting the event. If it's too big, or hidden in a a corner your guests won't get as much out of the experience.

2. Prints or No Prints?

We're biased here, but this is an important consideration. Do you want guests to walk away with printed photos at the end of the night? We chose not to print photos at the event with Picwood. Instead, we allow guests to take as many pictures as they'd like (the record is 1,214!) and download or print after the event. We've found this allows guests to have more time and freedom to pose and take pictures, not worrying or waiting for photos to print out. Printed photos are awesome, so if you want guests to walk away with prints we totally understand, it's just not Picwood's jam.

3. Cost and Budget

This is a biggie. How much do you have to spend on an "extra" like a photo booth at your event. This is one of the main reasons we decided to build Picwood for our wedding, cost. We didn't want to spend over $1,000 for a 2 hour rental of a high-quality photo booth. Premium, memorable, framable photos are important to us, which is why we focus on capturing high quality portraits with Picwood. And since guests don't print on site, we're able to keep our costs down and keep the rental price reasonable. There are cheaper options, but we've seen national photo booth research and we've seen that the average price per hour for a photo booth rental is $250-$300 per hour. At Picwood we keep things simple, we are $800 for 3 hours and you can add additional time at $200 per hour if you need some more!

4. Timing

And while we're on the subject, and related to budget, timing is something you need to consider. How long do you want a photo booth at your event? We've found 3-4 hours is a great amount of time for the events we attend. This allows enough time to capture a range of photos, but not too much, where it's either cost prohibitive or guests lose interest.

5. The Photo Booth Attendants

Last, but certainly not least, is considering who actually runs the photo booth at your wedding, birthday or corporate party. You want someone who will help ensure great pictures are taken with the photo booth and you need someone with a great personality that will make your guests comfortable. Always be sure to ask the photo booth companies you're considering - "who will attend the booth at my event?" This is very important to the success of the evening. At Picwood we keep a close eye on our events, as the owners. We have a staff of professional photographers, and all around great people who help support us when we can't attend an event.

We hope this quick guide can help you find the best photo booth for your needs and event. It's not an easy, or cheap decision when choosing a photo booth. If you happen to be in Kansas City, we would love to talk with you about your event and see if Picwood meets your needs. We take some great photos and people love the experience. Give us a call or send us a note today - picwoodkc@gmail.com